


Second Fiddle is Still a Fiddle

by Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth



Series: In But A Moment of Time [4]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Super Mario & Related Fandoms
Genre: Brotherhood, Dragons, Friendship, Gen, other stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-10-21 07:18:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17638283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth/pseuds/Silver_Shortage_in_Markarth
Summary: What could a mustached Italian plumber and an ancient fire-breathing lizard possibly have in common?More than you'd think.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes this is because Paarthurnax and Luigi (and a lot of other Mario characters) share a voice actor
> 
> I don't know I'm running low on ideas

Despite claiming that he would take to the skies after his brother's demise, he remained at the top of the mountain. His followers in High Hrothgar may still desire his guidance on certain things. Or at least that's what he'd been telling himself. The truth was slightly different. 

For whatever reason, he had become aware of a presence unlike any other he'd felt before. He knew it wasn't another dragon; they were already dying off once more. It wasn't the Greybeards, either; they'd use the Clear Skies shout to make their way upwards to the top. 

What or whomever this was, he was going to have to stay and see. They were obviously unaccustomed to the environment, going by how slowly they seemed to be going. 

...

"Oh boy...If this is meant to be a new kart track, then I need a word with the designer." 

Despite his best efforts, Luigi was having a hard time trying to keep his hat from being blown off in the howling wind. It was difficult (and painful) enough to even see where he was going. Even so, he was determined to keep on going, hoping he didn't accidentally fall off the mountain. 

Luigi had no idea how he even wound up here; one minute, he was go-karting with his brother, and the next he was in another world entirely. If they were to reunite, he'd probably just try and blame it on a Blue Shell that had gone out of control. 

"Mario!" He called out as loudly as he could. "Mario!" 

It was no use; the wind was too strong. Luigi was forced to keep going. He'd only gotten about a couple of yards further before it knocked him backwards, flat onto the ground. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get back up. Thus, he was forced to drag himself forward the rest of the way. He was at least thankful that the summit was in his sight.

His joy and relief, however, was cut short when a particularly strong and cold gust blasted him right in the face. The impact of it ended up loosening the grip on his hat. Seeing it fly off the mountain drove him to scramble to it, in a measure of extreme futility. 

"Waaaaahh!" Luigi cried out. 

"Oh no..." He then said when it fell to the ground at least several hundred miles down. 

Now, Luigi was forced to go without it the rest of the way, or until he reached a place that wasn't affected by the weather. 

"Hello?" He called out once he'd reached what he presumed was the very top. "Hellooo? Anybody here? Mario?! Are you here?! Hello!" His calls were answered, though not at all in a way he could ever expect, when he saw something moving in the corner of his eye.

It was really the shadow he saw that tipped him off, though. Now trembling, he forced himself to turn and look up. 

Right at the gargantuan dragon that had appeared. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have little to no idea how Paarthurnax's speech pattern works
> 
> So I may have gotten him too far off of that
> 
> Or something

"Waaaaaaahhhh!" Luigi shrieked for the second time since he'd got there.

The dragon before him made Bowser look like a complete wimp. It looked old, and weathered, like it had been in the preceding windstorm for too long. Its body showed numerous scars, and parts of it were broken off. Attempting to try and get away from it, Luigi crawled backwards and ended up backing into a wall. Feeling it behind him revealed a strange series of engravings he didn't recognize. 

With no other way left to go, Luigi looked right into the dragon's eyes as it craned its neck forward to get a closer look at him. When it did, it made a noise that sounded like a type of grumbling, before pulling back and readjusting itself. 

" _Drem yol lok_ to you, _wunduniik,_ " the dragon went on. "You may call me...Paarthurnax. I am one who meditates upon this very mountain, suppressing the great and volatile nature that is expected of the  _dov._ " Seeing that this 'Paarthurnax' wasn't going to hurt him, Luigi moved a little closer, before allowing himself to stand up and brush himself off. 

"My sudden appearance seems to have frightened you greatly," it said to him. " _Krosis._  It was not my intent to do so. I am merely...surprised that one who is not the  _Dovahkiin,_ or that of my  _fahdonne,_ has found his way to my mountaintop." Although he was still shaking terribly, Luigi scooted away from the wall a little bit. 

He was still terrified, though. 

"Tell me this then,  _wunduniik_ ," Paarthurnax went on. "How have you found yourself upon this  _strunmah_ , this mountain?" 

Luigi had a hard time finding his voice. "My brother and I, we were go-karting, and-" As he spoke, Luigi noticed Paarthurnax was tilting his head; clearly he had no idea what he was talking about. "I think one of us crashed into something, and next thing I know, I'm here!" 

He tried to smooth down his windblown hair; he really wished he still had his hat. Then he slapped his palms over his face, trying to hide his sudden onset of tears. "I don't know what's going on, I don't know where my kart is, I don't know where my brother is, I don't know where I am, and I don't know what I'm going to doooo!"

Were Paarthurnax not the size of a three story building or something similarly large, he would have patted Luigi on the head with one of his wings. Despite his immense size, he tried his best to be comforting. 

"There now," he said to get Luigi to stop. "If you have survived your...unexpected arrival to this place, I am certain your brother has survived as well.  _Lost hind fah him zeymah._ " He waited for Luigi to wipe his face with the back of his sleeve, before it was his turn to speak.

"Are you sure?" It was hard to keep his voice from cracking further. 

Paarthurnax moved his head in a way that Luigi figured was meant to be him nodding. "To know that the bond between a man and his brother is strong, if not unbreakable...In a way, I envy you. For I myself once had a brother. Alduin, the firstborn of our father; Akatosh, the God of Time.

"Alduin's destiny was to be that of the 'World Eater', and all other dragons, as well as myself, were under his command. But of course, the one that opposed him, she who is known as ' _Dovahkiin_ ', had arrived as well. It was the doing of  _qostiid,_ of prophecy, that the two would clash."

Paarthurnax readjusted himself, seemingly growing more uncomfortable as he spoke. "The _Dovahkiin_ emerged victorious, and Alduin was cast into the reaches of time itself. And yet, I was not happy with how the prophecy ended; wicked as Alduin was, he was still my elder brother. Although his death was necessary, I still mourn for him." 

Now Paarthurnax readjusted again, doing his best to hide his discomfort. "And what of you? What tale do you carry, that of you and your brother?" By now, Luigi had sat down to listen to the dragon talk. When he was prompted, he stood back up and tried to think of how to start talking about himself.

"Well...back in our kingdom, my brother is often the one who gets to go on adventures. Most of the time, I just...stay home or do other things. I have a part-time job at the casino, though! And sometimes I go along with him on adventures! Just...not as often as I'd like, I suppose." 

Luigi took on a contemplative look. "Everyone in the kingdom seems to love him! He's world-famous, you see! And I'm proud of him..." He hesitated, a bit ashamed to admit the next bit. "And...perhaps a bit jealous? I know, it's a terrible thing to feel towards my own brother..."

He looked back up at Paarthurnax. "But at least I still have him! I feel sad that you lost yours, whether he was evil or not. I just wish I wasn't jealous of mine." Bowing his head down, Paarthurnax leaned in closer, so that his face was closer to Luigi's. 

"You acknowledge that you hold an unwanted emotion toward your flesh and blood. That alone is more than countless others can say. To admit such a thing takes much  _ahkriin,_ much courage. Indeed, your brother should be most proud to have you." The compliment (at least, he thought it was a compliment) got Luigi to smile a little.

That smile quickly faded, as he looked out towards what he assumed was the rest of the land. 

"If I don't find him, it's not going to matter how I feel! I wish I knew where he was out there." Paarthurnax didn't answer. In the ensuing silence, Luigi realized that the howling winds from the way before had died down significantly. It dispersed completely when a loud voice rang out, in a language Luigi didn't know. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Ah! So my intuition was correct!" Arngeir and the other three Greybeards trudged through the snow to reach the top. "Paarthurnax, you should have told me you were expecting company!" 

Paarthurnax turned his head to greet them. " _Krosis_. However, I too was surprised by this man's arrival. But, I sense no malice, no evil intentions from him. From what he has told me, he is but a man in search of his _zeymah._ " Luigi was starting to figure that that word was referring to Mario. 

Arngeir and the others didn't quite seem convinced. "How can you be certain that he is speaking the truth? His clothing is nothing like I have ever seen! He may be nothing more than a madman, having escaped to wreak havoc! Why, he could be a new member of those awful Blades!"

While he was going on, Paarthurnax watched Luigi sidle closer, hoping to try and get any new information about these men.

"These men are that of my _fahdonne,_ " Paarthurnax stated. "They are most protective of me." 

All Luigi could really say to that was a genuinely fascinated "Ohhhhh". He then turned to face the Greybeards himself, shaking a bit too much for his own comfort. "Look, gentlemen, I want no trouble-" He hadn't realized that he'd began walking backwards until one of Paarthurnax's wings pushed him forward again. 

"I..." Luigi cleared his throat, and tried to start over. "All I do want is to find my brother, like he said. Then I want to go home! But..." He reached up to grab his hat, only to remember that he'd lost it. "I don't know _how_ to get home. I don't even know how I ended up getting _here_!" 

Now Luigi could feel tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks again, and into his mustache, to his discomfort. This display of emotion seemed to have changed the Greybeards' minds; their facial expressions, and them looking at each other, now showed that they had been moved by Luigi's distress. 

Arngeir stepped forward, to Paarthurnax's pleasant surprise. He bent downward, reaching out one of his hands and setting it on Luigi's shoulder. 

"If what you speak is the truth, and our leader has not been deceived," he told him while wiping away his tears, "then we shall assist you in finding your dear brother. Come; our home is a far more suitable place to be than out here in the cold." 

The other three Greybeards then swiveled around and started back towards the bottom of the mountain. Arngeir did the same, and quickened his own pace to catch up. Luigi hesitated, then looked over his shoulder at Paarthurnax. In turn, Paarthurnax simply nodded. 

That approval sent Luigi to run off and try to keep up with the Greybeards. 

...

Despite the assurances from Arngeir, High Hrothgar didn't seem all that much better than on the mountaintop. It may have been the fact it was made almost entirely of stone, but Luigi could still feel a chill in the air. He envied the Greybeards a little; their cloaks looked to be quite warm. 

That was not to say he wasn't impressed; he was. He just wished it weren't so cold. 

"Boy, you guys must not get very many visitors in this place." As he spoke, Luigi could've sworn his breath had solidified. Arngeir turned around and finally noticed the poor man shivering. He glanced at one of the other Greybeards, and silently prompted him to go someplace else. 

"It is indeed a relatively solitary existence," Arngeir said as he led Luigi through one of the corridors. "We remain up here in High Hrothgar out of necessity, however. Were any of us to visit the world below without sufficient preparations, it could lead to serious disaster.

"For you see..." He gestured to the other Greybeards. "We have spent our lives mastering the Way of the Voice. As a result, my three colleagues are unable to speak without potentially destroying all around them. Why, a mere whisper has the capacity to render this entire mountain to nothing!" 

This visual display of strength impressed Luigi, who, like earlier, could only really answer with "Ohhhhh..." He followed it up with, "You guys probably wouldn't like karaoke night, then." 

There then wasn't anything else to be said, until Arngeir stopped at the end of the corridor. Pushed up against the wall was a bed, which didn't really look to be the most comfortable thing in the world. Folded on top of it was another cloak (the Greybeard that left probably lay it there). 

"For the time being, you will have to spend the night here," Arngeir told Luigi. "I am aware you are most worried for your brother, but fear not. We Greybeards can sense when a person of interest ceases to exist. And I assure you, your brother is very much existing." 

His words calmed Luigi somewhat. As he listened, he unfolded the cloak provided for him and attempted to slip it on. To his dismay and disappointment, it was far too big for a man of his stature (he only really came up to about knee high in comparison to the Greybeards). 

"I apologize for that," Arngeir went on. "Your arrival was most unexpected, and this is the only size our attire comes in." He tried not to chuckle at Luigi flapping the sleeves while trying to fold them back. 

"Eh, it's okay. It's comfy at least."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super short because reasons

Despite his best efforts, Luigi couldn't get to sleep that night. Not even a belly full of bread and stew and a surprisingly comfortable bed helped all that much. All he could really do was curl up into himself (as well as his way oversized cloak) and listen to the muffled voices of the Greybeards talking to Paarthurnax. 

When curling up proved equally futile, he got up and carefully tiptoed through the hallway. As he got closer, he could hear Arngeir and Paarthurnax better. 

"Surely this is not a futile endeavor?" Arngeir could be heard more clearly. "The man is clearly not a Nord, or even a Redguard. In fact, I believe he is not even of this world! I fear that his motives may prove to be ulterior, and the story of his brother may in fact be a total fabrication." 

Paarthurnax groaned. "Regardless of whether or not that is the case, it would be in the best interest of us all to aid him. Should he prove to be a hostile one, however, it would not be a challenge to have him dealt with. He is, after all, nowhere near the threat that Alduin himself posed." 

Luigi couldn't take any more. Lifting the bottom of his cloak and folding it the best he could, he stumbled out to where the two were. 

"Who's a threat?" Hopefully none of them would realize that he'd been eavesdropping. Right away, Arngeir approached him and led him over to where he and the other Greybeards had been. 

"Oh, now please do not think of us as barbaric old men," he said to Luigi as he motioned for him to sit down. If he knew Luigi had been overhearing him, he didn't say it. "We are simply a suspicious folk; even the most unassuming individual could prove to be a most powerful adversary."

Luigi shrugged. "Oh, don't worry about that with me. Mario, my brother, now he's quite the amazing one. I doubt I'll ever reach the level that he's on.

"I just hope he's all right..."

...

Despite being in this land for less than a day, Mario was already in deep trouble. Already, he'd been chased out of several homes, arrested at least once (he'd been let go when they found nothing of interest on him), and completely excommunicated from the stores and farms in the area. 

Now, he was left alone, wandering about in the darkness. Were it not for the two moons up in the sky, he'd be completely lost. 

"Mama Mia," was all he could really think to say. So far, he had been lucky not to have gotten into any significant danger.

But going by how he was slowly but surely approaching a Giant settlement, his luck was about to run out. 


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you sure Arngeir said this was the right way?!" While Luigi had been conversing with the Greybeards earlier, Paarthurnax had declared that he was certain he knew now that Mario had to be nearby. Some more specifics from Arngeir confirmed that it was indeed the truth.

Now, Luigi was riding on Paarthurnax's back, doing his best to be on the lookout. He raised his voice as best he could over the howling sounds that came from going so fast. 

"I have trusted Arngeir on many things," Paarthurnax replied, as he flapped his wings at a consistent pace. "He is most knowledgeable on searching out topics of importance. Many times, the _Dovahkiin_ herself sought counsel with him, to seek out the words of the _Thu'um_. I am confident that he knows where your brother has gone." 

"I sure hope you're right, Paarthurnax!" Luigi still felt weird saying their names, for whatever reason. It could've been that he just wasn't used to doing so. With that trivial bit of information in the back of his mind, he kept on the lookout for Mario. Finally, after what felt like forever, he saw a speck of a familiar shade of red sprinting across the distant ground. Loudly, he pointed it out to Paarthurnax, who swooped down to confront whatever it was Mario was dealing with. 

...

Mario's legs were hurting quite badly from running so much. He didn't have much choice but to do so, however. No matter how hard or how quickly he could run, it was no good; his legs were far too short to get much distance in between him and the giant following him. 

"Mama Mia!" He shouted for the second time in that hour. "This is not-a my day!" The rumbling beneath him felt more akin to an earthquake. He tried not to concentrate on it as he huffed and puffed his way to the higher part of a low cliff. Once there, Mario watched as the giant slowed to a stop, and then proceeded to just stare at him. 

Eventually, after enough of staring at him, the giant left. When it did, Mario sighed in relief and wiped his brow. 

"I sure hope Luigi is okay..." Right as he said this, he had another reason to be terrified. Very close by, he heard the sound of a loud, primal roar. When Mario forced himself to look, he saw a large dragon barreling right towards him. Quickly, he leapt out of its way and saw it drive itself into the ground. 

Then, his terror turned into relief again when he heard a familiar voice come from behind the dragon's back. 

...

Luigi cried out his brother's name as he jumped off of Paarthurnax and ran to him, being mindful not to trip over the Greybeard's robe he was still wearing. 

"Mario!" He cried out again. "You're okay!" He pulled him into a big hug, the sleeves of his robe unfurling and flopping out when he did.

"Luigi!" Came his answer. "I'm-a so glad to see you! Oh, you would not believe what I have seen-a!" He then looked over Luigi's shoulder, seeing the big dragon looming over them both. "And who is-a your new friend?" Stepping back, Luigi started with the introductions. 

"Oh! This is Paarthurnax," he began when he was close enough to lean a hand against him. "Him and his friends helped me find you!" Then Luigi craned his neck upwards, raising his voice accordingly. "Paarthurnax! This is my brother Mario! He's the one I've been telling all of you about!" 

Paarthurnax gave what must've been some sort of smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Your _zeymah,_ your brother, he has spoken highly of you." Returning that smile with one of his own, Mario opened his mouth to complete the circle of greetings. 

He didn't get the chance, though. At that very moment, another dragon roar pierced the air. This time, it sounded quite hostile. 

"Uh-oh..." Was all he could think to say now. Quickly, Paarthurnax began to flap his wings in preparation to take flight once more. 

"Wait, Paarthurnax!" Luigi ran over to where he had landed. "What are you doing?! What's happening?!" He didn't answer, and once the other dragon appeared, as if out of thin air, he didn't need to. 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Above the two brothers, the battle between Paarthurnax and the other dragon raged on.

The most of what either of them could see was mostly fire, ice, wind, and many other kinds of elements. Both dragons swooped about and dodged each other in their clash, like some kind of air show gone wrong. In all of that, Luigi and Mario could hear what had to have been a completely foreign language. 

"Oh my..." Was all Mario could really think to say. Next to him, Luigi stepped forward before cupping his hands around his mouth. 

"You can do it, Paarthurnax!" He yelled out in the hope that the dragon could hear him. "I believe in you!" For emphasis, he raised his arm up, making it end in a fist. 

Whether or not it helped any was still a little unclear. Regardless, Paarthurnax was showing signs of gaining the upper hand. The last thing he shouted out, the sky above him clouded and began to send forth heavy rain. Quickly, upon seeing it, Luigi dragged Mario to a nearby cave for shelter. 

It was a good thing he did so when he did; a little while later, a huge strike of lightning crackled across the sky, connecting directly against the enemy. 

Then, the brothers watched as the dragon fell from above, trying to stay upright once it hit the ground. Then came the sound of what must have resembled a campfire roaring. When Paarthurnax returned to the ground himself, the other dragon began to disintegrate. All that remained of it was its skeleton, along with some kind of aura. This aura was promptly consumed once Paarthurnax was standing upright again. 

"Wow..." Luigi was in awe as he waited for the rain to let up, pulling Mario behind him when it did. "That was incredible, Paarthurnax!"

"It was a necessary act," Paarthurnax said to them. "Had I not intervened, your lives would surely have been in great peril." 

He turned and offered his back for them to jump onto. "Now, I am certain that it is time for us all to return to the others. Remaining here will no doubt attract further enemies." 

...

"You have returned safely!" Arngeir was waiting by one of the double doors when Paarthurnax landed in front of him at High Hrothgar. "I had began to fear that tragedy had befallen you!" 

He then watched Luigi hop off of the dragon's back, this time with who he figured was Mario. 

"And this must be your brother, Luigi!" He reached down to take hold of Mario's hand to shake it. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last.

"Come," Arngeir then said before turning back to face the doors. "I am sure you wish to be out of the coming blizzard." 

As they followed him, Luigi could see Mario look rather enchanted with everything he'd been seeing. Thus, he couldn't help but elbow him in the chest. 


	7. Chapter 7

Despite his best efforts, Luigi couldn't get back to sleep that night. Mario had no trouble doing so; he was sleeping like a log. Thus, he wasn't at all disturbed when Luigi hopped back out of his own bed to go someplace else in High Hrothgar. All that he really hoped was that he didn't end up waking the other Greybeards. 

As quietly as possible, without tripping over his robe (he never did take it off. It was much too comfy and warming), Luigi stumbled back outside and into the dark and wintry landscape. Now he was beginning to understand why the Greybeards had said beards in the first place. 

Like when he'd first arrived in this world, Luigi was forced onto his hands and knees. It took a near eternity to return to the very top of Paarthurnax's mountain. At least this time, he had a hood to cover himself. When he did arrive, he could see Paarthurnax huddled up like a gargoyle. He wasn't asleep, though. 

"Paarthurnax?" Somehow, over the howling wind, Luigi got his attention. When he got close enough, Paarthurnax craned his head downward to speak to him better. 

"Hmmm," he let out in a humming manner. "Once again, you have braved the elements to make your way here. Truly, no man or _mer_ , no elf, has done so.

"For what purpose have you to do so?" 

Luigi fretted and kicked the ground as best he could. "Oh...I guess I thought you were lonely up here. Birds of a feather, you know?" 

Paarthurnax made the sound again. "A kindness most unrivaled as well. A true _zeymah_ , that is what you are." He looked back up at the sky, with the heavy grey clouds moving above. "Indeed, it can be quite lonely up here on the Throat of the World. Many times, I long for _tinvaak,_ for conversation." All that Luigi could do to that was nod. 

"Sometimes I get lonely, too," he said. "When Mario's gone, I'm always worried about if he'll come back or not. It helps to always have someone to talk to."

"Indeed. You speak the truth." Paarthurnax still was looking up at the sky. By now, the clouds had dispersed significantly. "You and I, we appear to be a cut of the same cloth. Though we have known one another for only a few short hours..."

He paused, then continued. "I am pleased to know you as my _fahdon,_ my friend." 

"Really?" Hearing this cheered Luigi up quite a bit. "Thanks, Paarthurnax. Same to you." 

Neither of them spoke after that exchange. They merely sat side by side and gazed upon the stars. 

...

Luigi didn't remember falling asleep. But he had to have; he found himself waking up to his room, and in his bed. He sat up, pinching himself to confirm that yes, he was back home.

"It was a dream?" He asked in a barely audible whisper, as he stood up out of bed looked around. "It seemed awfully real."

Now Luigi scratched his head, partly out of confusion, and partly because it was just itchy. 

"Wonder what I put in my spaghetti last night to have that-" 

"Hey, Luigi!" Came Mario's voice from the other room of the house. "You got-a something in the mail!" In came Mario, holding a rather heavy looking package. Right away, along with a hurried 'thanks, Bro', Luigi grabbed hold and tore it open. To his great shock and surprise, Luigi realized what it was he was looking at. 

His surprise became joy and gratitude when he read the accompanying letter.

_To Luigi:_

_We hope that this robe is of a much better fit for you. May it keep you warm for many coming winters. It is the least we can do for an honorary Greybeard. Perhaps one day, our paths will cross once more._

_Sky above, voice within,_

_Paarthurnax and the Greybeards_


End file.
